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Prep chef vs cooking chef

The differences between prep chefs and cooking chefs can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a prep chef and a cooking chef. Additionally, a cooking chef has an average salary of $34,973, which is higher than the $25,941 average annual salary of a prep chef.

The top three skills for a prep chef include kitchen equipment, dishes and cleanliness. The most important skills for a cooking chef are food service, food handling, and kitchen equipment.

Prep chef vs cooking chef overview

Prep ChefCooking Chef
Yearly salary$25,941$34,973
Hourly rate$12.47$16.81
Growth rate15%15%
Number of jobs52,624136,558
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 31%Associate Degree, 31%
Average age4242
Years of experience66

Prep chef vs cooking chef salary

Prep chefs and cooking chefs have different pay scales, as shown below.

Prep ChefCooking Chef
Average salary$25,941$34,973
Salary rangeBetween $17,000 And $39,000Between $24,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City-Teaneck, NJ
Highest paying state-New Jersey
Best paying company-Memphis Country Club
Best paying industry-Health Care

Differences between prep chef and cooking chef education

There are a few differences between a prep chef and a cooking chef in terms of educational background:

Prep ChefCooking Chef
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 31%Associate Degree, 31%
Most common majorCulinary ArtsCulinary Arts
Most common collegeDrexel UniversityDrexel University

Prep chef vs cooking chef demographics

Here are the differences between prep chefs' and cooking chefs' demographics:

Prep ChefCooking Chef
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 67.1% Female, 32.9%Male, 76.3% Female, 23.7%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 10.2% White, 56.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.9% Asian, 12.0% White, 53.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between prep chef and cooking chef duties and responsibilities

Prep chef example responsibilities.

  • Manage a kitchen of military personal and Japanese civilian chefs.
  • Work using fryers, boilers, grill, ovens, steamers, mixers.
  • Instruct new employees in the preparation, cooking, garnishing, and presentation of food.
  • Maintain highest level of cleanliness and sanitation.
  • Maintain cleanliness of station, ensuring sanitary conditions.
  • Create and prepare international cuisine for executive clientele by using ingenuity, organization, efficiency in production and attention to detail
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Cooking chef example responsibilities.

  • Manage a kitchen of military personal and Japanese civilian chefs.
  • Assist culinary instructor in food preparation.
  • Cook foods by baking, roasting, broiling, frying, saut? ing, steaming, grilling.
  • Travel to various locations throughout the city to perform culinary task.
  • Obtain in-depth experience working on grills, ranges, and steamers.
  • Experience with baking, broiling, frying, roasting and grilling.
  • Show more

Prep chef vs cooking chef skills

Common prep chef skills
  • Kitchen Equipment, 33%
  • Dishes, 30%
  • Cleanliness, 18%
  • Food Service, 10%
  • Dinner Service, 2%
  • Prep List, 1%
Common cooking chef skills
  • Food Service, 23%
  • Food Handling, 19%
  • Kitchen Equipment, 16%
  • Culinary, 10%
  • Cleanliness, 9%
  • Dishwashers, 7%

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